Johnny

Johnny isn't surprised when he receives a text from Ash. What surprises him is that it seems to be a mass text sent out to more people, and - that's the unusual part - it's an invitation to meet at her and Lance's place on Friday night.

With a frown he looks at Cia, sitting next to him at the table, eating her breakfast.

Her phone beeped at the same time his did which only strengthens his idea of the message being sent out to other people, too.

"Hey, did you just receive an invitation from Ash, too?" he asks.

Cia nods. "Yeah, I did. Pretty … uhm …"

"Unusual?" he suggests.

"Yeah," Cia agrees.

"I wonder what's going on," Johnny goes on. With Ash's recent condition - the passing-out, the puking - he can't help, but be a bit worried. What if Ash is going to tell them that she has some really bad disease, something life-threatening? He'd better not think about that.

So close after his father's heart attack, he doesn't even want to think about it.

"Me too," Cia says.

"Do you think…" He breaks off to take a deep breath. Not wanting to think about it is one thing. Actually managing not to think about it a totally different thing. And he fails.

"Do you think it's serious? I mean with Ash passing out so much recently and … well, you know." He sighs again.

Cia looks at him for a moment. "If it were that serious, I think she'd tell us sooner and not wait for the weekend. It's still four days to go," she tells him.

Johnny isn't sure if she actually believes that, but it somehow makes sense. So he decides to go with it.

Although he's still worrying a bit, and of course, Cia realizes. She always does.

She places a hand on his cheek, her eyes locking with his.

"Don't worry so much," she says with a smile, and her smile is so warm and gentle, he simply has to return it.

And then she kisses him. It's a warm and gentle kiss, just like her smile, but the moment, he wants to deepen it, his phone beeps, and he pulls away.

Usually, a text message wouldn't keep him from kissing her, but with his father in hospital and Ash's condition, things have changed a bit.

He can't wait for life to turn back to normal, though.

"Sorry," he says to Cia, giving her an apologetic smile.

"It's fine," she replies before she continues her breakfast.

Johnny reaches for his phone.

And what he reads makes Ash's text message drop to the second most surprising text message he received recently.

Because this new text is from Lance.

He wants to meet up with Johnny today.

Johnny can feel the panic rise in his chest again.

He and Lance have never met alone before. What if he wants to tell Johnny that Ash is just playing it cool again while in reality she's really, really sick and he wants to tell Johnny beforehand because…

Well, why would Lance do that?

Because he needs someone to talk to?

Johnny can only presume, but he's sure Lance has better friends than Johnny to talk about such a serious matter. If he and Lance can be called friends at all.

Because Johnny is Ash's best friend and thus deserves to know the truth?

Could be, but no. It sounds a bit far-fetched. If anything, Ash would tell him the truth, not Lance.

Which leaves Johnny with no explanation at all.

Lance's text is still weird, and Johnny decides that he isn't good at handling weird right now.

But he doesn't want to let Lance down either.

So he types his reply and sends it.

Sure, when?

Lance's reply comes a second later.

2 at the mall okay for you?

Johnny can't say it is okay because that's usually the time he visits his dad. But there's something about the way Lance texted him - or that Lance texted him at all - that tells him he'd better say yes.

Perfect! See you!

When he's waiting for Lance to show up, Johnny tries to fight that uneasy feeling down, but fails. And so the uneasy feeling increases and contributes to his wish that he'd prefer to visit his dad.

But before he can think more about it, Lance shows up.

"Hi Johnny!" he greets with a little wave of his hand.

"Hello!" Johnny replies, searching Lance's face for a sign of what is going on.

The porcupine makes no move to start talking and looks a bit nervous which only adds to Johnny's uneasy feeling.

"So, what's up?" Johnny finally asks when Lance still doesn't say anything.

"It's Ash," Lance says with a sigh, lowering his eyes to the ground. "She's …"

Dying?

Deathly ill?

Undergoing some serious surgery?

Johnny hates that Lance breaks off right there!

"She's …," Lance starts again, only to break off again.

Johnny is this close to grab Lance and shake him!

Lance takes a deep breath and looks up, searching Johnny's eyes.

"You gotta promise not to tell anyone that I told you that," Lance says. "It's supposed to be a secret until Friday."

"I promise!" Johnny says quickly, still fighting down the urge to shake Lance.

He wants to know what's going on. He needs to know!

"Okay," Lance says, lowering his eyes again. "Ash is -" Johnny holds his breath in anticipation - "pregnant."

Johnny blinks a few times before the full impact of what Lance just said hit him.

"Really?" he says as all the tension melts away from him.

Ash isn't going to die, Ash isn't seriously ill.

No, Ash is pregnant!

This information brings a big grin to Johnny's face.

"That's amazing!" he calls out. "Congrats, Lance!"

He puts a hand on Lance's shoulder, giving it a pat.

"Thanks," Lance replies, looking at Johnny with a little smile. "But you have to tone down that grin. You aren't supposed to know anything."

Johnny's eyes widen for a moment before he speaks up, "Yeah, yeah, sure!"

He tries his best and manages to get the corner of his mouth down. At least a bit.

"There you go!" Lance says with a little laugh, and Johnny laughs a bit, too.

"Now, let's get to business," Lance goes on, and suddenly, he seems nervous again.

It's the moment Johnny realizes that of course there must be more to this. Lance didn't want to meet just to tell him that Ash is pregnant. That could have waited till Friday.

"Okay," Johnny says.

Lance takes another deep breath.

"The thing is …," he starts before he breaks off again.

Johnny doesn't feel the urge to shake Lance that much now that he knows that Ash is alright, but it's still there. He really wants to know what it is that makes Lance so nervous.

Lance clears his throat. "I want to ask Ash to marry me."

"That's great!" Johnny calls out, and the grin is back on his face.

Again, Lance replies with a little smile. "Thanks," he says. "And that's where you come in. Do you think you could help me choose an engagement bracelet for her? You're her best friend, and I really could need some help because, well, I'm not sure if I can do it alone."

"Of course!" Johnny replies happily.

"Thanks, man," Lance says. "And Johnny?"

"Yes?"

"Remember, you gotta tone that grin down."

"Oh yeah, sure! Sorry!"

Johnny thinks he's doing a good job on toning that grin down. Whenever Cia catches him humming and smiling and asks why he's so happy he replies that it's because his dad is doing better.

Which isn't a lie.

It's one of the reasons he's in such a good mood. Although this means that his dad is going to be moved back to jail soon. Which he doesn't like that much, but Johnny decided he'd rather have a healthy father in jail than having a sick dad at the hospital.

When Cia and he are on their way to Ash and Lance's, it is really hard for Johnny to act like he's still worried. Or at least act like he's not happy and excited.

He's doing a reasonable job, he thinks. Cia doesn't get suspicious.

He only hopes that Ash is going to break the news soon because he isn't sure how long he can keep this up.

He patiently waits in the living room as the others arrive. He only shares a look with Lance every once in a while. Of course when no one else is looking.

They are all there - Rosita, Gunter, Meena, Mike and Nancy, Mr. Moon, Eddie, and even Ms. Crawly who is finally able to walk again although she still needs crutches. Since she doesn't have a mobile phone Johnny can only guess that Ash personally invited her - or had Mr. Moon do that.

Anyways, Johnny is fine that Ms. Crawly is doing better, too. Ever since his dad ended up in hospital he hasn't been able to visit her.

So he walks up to her and starts a little conversation, and Ms. Crawly is as nice and caring as always.

But when Ash clears her throat, Johnny's attention is with her immediately.

Finally! Now he can stop acting soon!

"Okay, guys," she says, "you all may be wondering why I called you here. As some of you know, I haven't been so well recently, and there's a reason for that."

Johnny is biting down on the inside of his cheeks. Everyone else looks concerned, so he really can't start smiling now!

Ash lets her eyes glide over her guests, and Johnny bites down on the inside of his cheeks a bit more.

No smiling, Johnny!

And suddenly, there's a smile on Ash's face as she says, "I'm pregnant!"

There's a moment of silence, and then suddenly there's laughter and congratulations.

Johnny is glad that he can finally allow his mouth to turn into a big grin. He's been fighting it down for way too long!

"Are you going to get married?" Rosita asks, and Johnny immediately looks at Lance whose eyes widen a bit.

His hand disappears in his pocket, Johnny knows that he's fumbling for the bracelet. Johnny even watches how Lance is moving, about to get down on his knee, but then, Ash blows a raspberry.

"Are you kidding me!?" she calls out. "Marriage is for the establishment, not for free spirits like Lance and me!"

Johnny feels a pang in his heart as he watches how Lance simply shoots back into a standing position.

Luckily, no one seems to have realized.

Except for Johnny himself, of course.

And he feels for Lance, actually, he's really sorry for him.

Johnny can only hope that it shows in the look he's giving Lance before he turns his attention back to Ash.

And with that, the smile is back on his face.

It doesn't feel so appropriate anymore, though.

But he keeps it up.

He's good at this after all.